Joint show with Robert Greenhalf, The Bircham Gallery, Holt Norfolk, Oct 2013

Making and Drawing Show, The Harley Gallery, Nottinghamshire, June – Sept 2013

Fresh Air, Quennington,Gloucestershire, June 2013

The Contemporary Craft Fair, Bovey Tracey, Devon, June 2013

Walford Mill Crafts, Wimborne, Dorset, March 2013

All Wired Up, The Craft Centre and Design Gallery, Leeds, Nov 2012

Animals Up Front, Galerie Handwerk, Munich, Germany, Dec 2011

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Feb 2008

Origin, The London Craft Fair organised by the Crafts Council, Oct 2007

Public Commissions

New Brewery Arts Center, Cirencester, October 2014

Bibliography

Making and Drawing, Kyra Cane,2013

The Wildlife Artists Handbook, Jackie Garner, 2013

Sculpting in Wire, Cathy Miles,2009

Press Articles

Elle Dec, July 2015

Country LIfe, Jan 2015

Period Living August 2011 ‘Behind the Craft’

‘Flights of Fancy’ - feature article, Country Living, April 2008

VIP Feature Page, BBC Homes and Antiques June 2008.

Interviews

Interviewed about techniques and inspirations for HTV’s In the Making programme, July 2002

Materials Matter...............

As other artists use pencil, I use wire as a drawing material. It goes without saying that I am a hoarder of wire. Picking up a rusty piece of metal on a farm track, or finding a squashed electrical cable in a road, are for me, like finding little bits of treasure. Scrap yards are favourite place of mine the textures and piles of wire are very inspiring. I intentionally seek out old and interesting wires and like using rusty and corroded wires – the patina attracts me. By collecting wires I feel like I am collecting my lines with which to make my drawings – some are bold and thick like a marker pen, others are hair thin like the faintest of pencil lines.

My work focuses on birds and I regularly go out on drawing trips to nature reverses and islands. Recently I have started to pick up bits of wood and metal scraps where I am drawing and incorporate them into the sculptures of birds I make in that place.

— Celia Smith, August 2015

Born in 1974 Celia studied Fine Art Sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art. Having experimented with many different materials, wire became her favoured medium, with which she creates animated sculptures of birds.

Growing up as a farmer’s daughter, Celia developed a passion for the natural environment and birds in particular are her inspiration. A lot of her time is spent drawing and studying domestic and native British birds from life, capturing their movement and character is her primary concern. Celia draws with wire, as others draw with pencil, for her creating sculptures out of wire is like drawing in three dimensions. She will travel on location to sketch particular species in their habitat and often small wire studies and even life-size pieces are made directly in front of the subject.

She finds that wire has a spontaneity that can give her sculptures a feeling of life and energy. Her materials are mainly sourced from scrap yards, each visit brings new colours and textures which helps to inspire the next creation. The wires may have previously been used for telephone and electrical wiring, or perhaps some rusty fencing found abandoned in a field.